


Run

by FlightlessAngelWings



Category: Prospect (2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama, Ezra and his colorful nicknames, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Mention of Past Abuse, Mild Smut, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Mutual Pining, Non-Graphic Smut, Romance, gender neutral reader, protective!Ezra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:14:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28842198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlightlessAngelWings/pseuds/FlightlessAngelWings
Summary: Run.That was the only thought in your head as you sprinted through the vast desert planet that you had found yourself on. Run. Don’t stop. Keep going. Get away.You don’t know how long you ran for. At least an hour had to have passed from when you took off. Most likely, it was longer considering how much the sun had moved in the sky. But you didn’t stop. You couldn’t stop. You had to keep going. Even though at this point, there was nothing and no one behind you, you still couldn’t stop.You just couldn’t stop. You just ran. And ran. You ran until…
Relationships: Ezra (Prospect 2018)/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Run

Run.

That was the only thought in your head as you sprinted through the vast desert planet that you had found yourself on. Run. Don’t stop. Keep going. Get away.

You don’t know how long you ran for. At least an hour had to have passed from when you took off. Most likely, it was longer considering how much the sun had moved in the sky. But you didn’t stop. You couldn’t stop. You had to keep going. Even though at this point, there was nothing and no one behind you, you still couldn’t stop.

You just couldn’t stop. You just ran. And ran. You ran until…

Because your eyes were too filled with tears and the adrenaline coursed through your veins, you didn’t pay attention to what was right in front of you until you ran smack into it. With a grunt, you crashed into someone and landed right on top of them. It was then that you realized just how exhausted you were, and you would have passed out on the spot if it wasn’t for a whimsical voice that ran though your comm.

“Careful there, gazelle. You could hurt somebody with that fervent tenacity.”

With wide eyes, you lifted your gaze from where it fell on his chest up to his face to find a handsome man with kind eyes and faint scars on his cheek. You also noticed the small patch of blonde in his hair that seemed to suit him. Quickly, you scrambled away from him and scooted yourself so that you sat opposite him on the ground, “I’m so sorry…” your voice was weak and hoarse from your exhaustion, “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“No harm done,” he replied as he got to his feet. 

It was then that you noticed he only had one arm, and you quickly looked away so you weren’t rude by staring. While your gaze was on the ground, a hand came into your line of sight as he offered to help you stand. You looked up to his face once more and you instantly felt calmed by his soft smile, but you made no attempt to move.

“I won’t hurt you,” he spoke in a reassuring tone as he held his hand steady in front of you.

A moment passed before you finally accepted and placed your hand in his and let him guide you up. “Thanks,” you mumbled once you were steady on your feet,

“Now what brings a beautiful desert rose such as yourself out here all alone?” he was direct with his question, since it was unusual for someone to be by themself on a desolate planet like this.

“I…” words failed you as your face twisted into a pained expression. You weren’t about to spill your thoughts to a complete stranger. He had to have noticed how out of breath you were, and you were obviously trying to get away from something, or someone, but he didn’t press when you didn’t offer an explanation.

“I assume I don’t need to disarm you or knock you back down,” he smiled at his words. When you shook your head and assured him you weren’t a threat, he introduced himself, “I’m Ezra. What shall I call you?”

You gave him your name and realized that your hands were still connected. Your eyes went wide for a moment before he gave your hand a quick shake and finally released you. Adrenaline still rushed through your veins as you tried to calm yourself down, and you found that your gaze lingered on the man you had literally just run into. He had scars on his face, but you saw a kindness in his eyes, and there was something about him that started to put your mind at ease.

“Are you in need of shelter?” Ezra asked, “My partner and I are set up not too far from here. I can offer you a safe place with us.”

You were taken aback by his offer, “You’d take me in just like that? No questions asked?”

“Well, I do have questions,” he put his hand on his hip, “But I can gather from your appearance that you’re in need of help. And since you haven’t tried to disarm me yet, I think it’s fair to assume you won’t cause trouble.”

“Thank you,” you breathed out as you slowly reached for your weapon, “Here,” you extended it out to him, “So you can trust me.”

Ezra eyed the weapon in your hand for a moment before he gently pushed it back towards your body, “The gesture alone tells me all I need to know,” he paused as he thought, “How are you so willing to trust me then, desert rose?”

You shrugged, “Intuition I guess,” you really didn’t have a choice if you wanted to get off this planet, but it was true that you had a good feeling about this man. After all, nothing could be worse than what you just ran from, so you took your chance with this stranger.

He led you toward the tent he and his partner, a teenage girl named Cee, had set up. She seemed more apprehensive of you, but she listened to Ezra when he explained what little he knew about you. Cee didn’t seem as convinced, but she relaxed slightly at Ezra’s words.

“Don’t worry birdie,” he assured her, “This one is not a killer,” Ezra looked at you with confidence in his eyes.

You wanted to ask how he could possibly know that when he hardly knew anything about you, but when you saw that it helped to put Cee’s mind at ease, you chose to keep your mouth shut. Instead, you thank them both for their hospitality and shed your gear. When you were down to your undershirt, you felt both their eyes on you. You knew they saw the scars and marks that adorned your body, but neither of them commented on it, which you were thankful for.

The next cycle, the three of you were able to leave the planet. You breathed a heavy sigh of relief as you watched it get further and further away. You were so wrapped up in your thoughts that you didn’t feel Ezra’s eyes on you. When you all finally reached the station, the commanders in charge there had good news: they were impressed with Cee’s wits that they offered her a job with them at the command center.

She was hesitant at first, but Ezra pulled her aside and told her that she should take the job, “No one is more deserving of a position like this than you, birdie,” sincerity lined his voice, “Besides, I’ll sleep better at night knowing you’re safer here than prospecting with me.”

Cee accepted the job, and you decided to stay with Ezra as his new partner. Over the next few months, the two of you journeyed to different planets together to dig and harvest any rare gems you could find. You actually found that you made a good team, and you worked well together. You also just enjoyed Ezra’s company, and you could listen to him talk for hours.

Ezra always had colorful nicknames for you. Sometimes it was Cactus, sometimes Flower, sometimes Oasis. But when the moment seemed more special or intimate, he used the special nickname Desert Rose for you, and that one always made your heart flutter the most. All of the names he used for you always alluded to the desert planet where you met, and something about how personal his nicknames for you were made you smile.

Together, the two of you ran at your own pace from planet to planet. It was refreshing for you to move like this, not like how you were on the run before.

Over time, you each grew fond of the other, and you found that your gaze lingered on the man when his back was turned to you. You wondered what it was like to kiss him, or to feel his touch against your bare skin. Some nights, you found that you fantasized about him while you laid alone in your cot. But, you were careful not to let your feelings show. You were afraid to let someone into your heart like that, even if it was someone like Ezra, who you grew to trust.

Sometimes, you thought you felt Ezra’s gaze on you when you weren’t looking, but you just attributed that to your own growing feelings. If only you knew that you were right. There were times when Ezra couldn’t keep his eyes off of you as he watched you handle the delicate gems in your hands. When you spoke, he always stole a glance at your lips. And he always caught when you looked so sad when you thought he wasn’t looking.

It pained him to see you plagued with such sorrow and pain, and Ezra wanted nothing more than to know what it was and take it all away from you. But, he chose not to press it. He figured you would tell him one day when the time was right. Ezra offered his own story to you so that you could know him better, and in hopes that you would tell yours in return. When you didn’t, he tried not to let the sinking feeling in his chest show.

After some time together, you and Ezra found yourselves on the most beautiful planet you had ever seen. The air was clean enough that you didn’t need your suits, which you both were grateful for. 

Ezra loved to watch you when you were unobscured by your helmet. He longed to reach out and hold you, but he kept himself back for fear of frightening or upsetting you. If he was to guess, when you first met, you had run away from someone you knew who had hurt you from the way your suit was intact, yet your body was riddled with scars.

Ezra felt the growing need to protect you the longer he was near you. He knew you were more than capable of defending yourself, and he saw it first hand once when a pair of bandits tried to rob the two of you. Between the two of you, you were able to fight them off and save your harvest. Ezra had never been more attracted to you then when you knocked the bandit on his ass.

The two of you engaged in idle conversation while you worked, as you always did. It felt nice to breathe in fresh air while you worked, but you felt Ezra’s gaze on you more often than not. Every once in a while, you’d glance up and meet his eyes for a brief moment before you looked away again.

When you reached out for one of your tools, your gloved hand brushed against Ezra’s and you both froze for a moment. He had moved at the same time, and your hands connected over the tool. Your heart pounded in your chest, and yet neither of you pulled away. You opened your mouth and were about to say something when a rustle in the distance caught both of your attention.

Just as you and Ezra stood, a group of men dressed in all black strolled out from the nearby forest. They were all armed, and they did not look friendly at all. You swallowed hard and you felt Ezra nudge you back so he could place himself between you and the intruders. 

“Stay behind me,” he whispered to you in a voice that left no room for argument, “Greetings gentlemen,” he addressed the group, “I’m sorry to say that this is our digsite, so I’m going to have to ask you to move on and find somewhere else.”

The man in the middle sneered as the rest of them looked at you in a way that made your skin crawl. “Oh we’re not here for a dig,” the man who appeared to be their leader said, “We’re here for that one,” he pointed right at you.

Your blood ran cold, and a fear pulsed through you that you hadn’t felt since before you met Ezra.

“I cannot allow you to have my partner,” Ezra replied without hesitation as he slowly reached for his own weapon.

The group laughed and pointed their guns at him, “Our contract says to keep our target alive, but it didn’t mention anything about killing you.”

You gasped as you jumped in front of Ezra before you realized your movements, “No,” you shouted at them, “Don’t hurt him,” you tried to sound tough, but your voice wavered.

The men didn’t appear moved by your display, “Someone is looking for you,” the leader said, “And the price for your return is worth more than this entire digsite.”

Ezra whispered your name as he leaned in close to you. You felt him move subtly behind you, and without needing to see him, you knew he reached for your gun. From there, everything happened so fast. He shot the leader from behind you, and chaos broke out from there. Ezra kept your weapon and you reached around for his as you both fought off the group of men. 

The fight seemed to happen in a blur for you as you were too wrapped up in your emotions and fear to fully process what happened. You acted on instinct as you and Ezra took down the attackers. One of the men tried to run off, and Ezra leapt after him while you kept your weapon pointed at the leader, who laid on the ground heavily injured.

Your eyes bored into him in a mix of rage and fear as you hovered over his body. He cowered as he choked on his own blood, and he knew this was the end for him.

“He’ll never stop hunting you,” the leader spat as he looked down the barrel of your gun, “You should have seen the look on his face,” he cackled darkly between heavy breaths, “There’s no place in the universe you can run, so count your days.”

His words made you waver, and you lowered your weapon as your body froze in terror. The man took the opportunity to try to launch himself at you, but a shot from behind you stopped him before he got off the ground. The action brought you back to reality and you spun around to find Ezra behind you with his gun aimed at the leader.

He stepped up so that he was next to you and he fired once more time to make sure the leader was dead. You only stared at Ezra with wide eyes; you had never seen him look this intense before.

Once Ezra was sure everyone was dead, he turned to you, “We must get out of here, cactus,” he grabbed your arm and led you back to your campsite. 

You barely processed that you had moved, too lost in your own head to notice the world around you. It wasn’t until you were back inside your shared tent and Ezra stood in front of you that you snapped back. You parted your lips to speak, but nothing came out, and you collapsed down to the ground.

Ezra called your name as he dropped down next to you and held your arm as tightly as he could, “Flower, talk to me. What’s wrong?” he couldn’t hide the concern in his voice as he tried to bring you back to him from wherever your mind went.

After several slow breaths, you calmed yourself down enough to meet his gaze, and he broke your heart to see how scared he looked. You knew you owed him an explanation, and you thought it was time you told him your story but, “I’m sorry, Ezra,” was all you managed.

He looked deflated; he wanted nothing more than to help you, but he also didn’t want to force it. All Ezra could do was be there for you in any way you needed, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for you, “You have no need to apologize my desert rose,” he brushed his hand along your face in an attempt to comfort you.

You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch. After a heavy sigh you were finally able to put your thoughts together, “I guess I owe you an explanation now.”

“You owe me nothing but your company,” he used your name. Not any nickname he had for you, but your actual name. It always held more meaning whenever Ezra used your name, since he usually referred to you with one of the many affectionate nicknames he picked out for you.

Something about the way he said your name made your heart flutter. You swallowed the feeling before you shifted so that you sat more comfortably, “The day we first met,” you started as you dropped your gaze down to the ground, “You told Cee that I’m not a killer.”

Ezra sat down in front of you just shy of your touch, “I hardly think that killing bandits counts for what I meant, flower,” he shrugged off the notion, “I still stand by that.”

You bit your lip; his words pained you more than he realized, “What if I told you you’re wrong?” you looked up to meet his gaze, and you gasped when you saw the steel resolve in his eyes. He had a look the told you that he wasn’t swayed on his opinion of you, and you hated how he looked at you like you were something worthy, something you were not.

“I find that hard to believe,” he said, “But please tell me if you’re ready.” Ezra made no move to grab a weapon or put space between your bodies. No matter what happened in your past, he still trusted you, and there was not much that you could do to change his mind.

“I am a killer Ezra,” you sighed, “In fact, it’s the first thing I did,” you scoffed as you looked up and blinked away tears, “My first act in this life was to take one.” You paused to steady yourself before you continued, “My mother died giving birth to me.”

Ezra furrowed his brows, “That does not make you a killer…”

“Tell that to my father,” you snapped as you cut him off. You looked into his eyes and by the look on his face you knew he could see the tears in yours, “He blames me for her death. In fact, he reminded me of it nearly every day.”

It wasn’t often that Ezra was stunned to silence, but he found that he had no words. He guessed that you wouldn’t want to hear it anyway, so he stayed quiet as he scooted closer toward you.

You continued when you were ready, “It wasn’t so bad when I was a kid. He took care of me well enough I guess,” you wrapped your arms around yourself, “But when I got older he… I guess I reminded him of mom and he couldn’t take it. I’m a reminder of what he lost, and he always took his anger out on me.”

Ezra scowled as he realized where all your scars came from. It all made sense now: you had run away from your father when you first met after you couldn’t take his wrath anymore. It also explained why you trusted him so fast, he was your only hope at the time. In that moment, Ezra wanted nothing more than to hold you close and try to take away your pain. He hated to see you like this, and he silently cursed your father for what he did to you.

“I ran away so many times, but he always found me. I thought maybe since it had been so long this time that he wouldn’t find me this time,” your tone turned bitter when you added, “But I guess I was wrong,” you sniffled and took in a shaky breath, “And even worse, now I got you involved in my mess.” 

He couldn’t hold back anymore and Ezra pulled you in close so that he held you flush against his chest. His arm gripped you tightly in an attempt to protect you from your own past as he said your name in a steady voice, “Do not apologize for anything,” he spoke in a low but soft tone, “None of what happened is your fault, you understand? And I would protect you until my dying breath so do not feel guilty for my involvement.”

Your breath caught in your throat at Ezra’s words. You pulled back just enough to meet his gaze while you stayed securely in his embrace, “You’d what?” you asked breathlessly.

Ezra gave you a soft smile as his thumb rubbed comforting circles against your body, “I care about you,” he said your name, “And I would do anything to protect my desert rose.” 

You clung to his shirt as you searched his eyes for any hint of doubt. Your heart pounded in your chest when you realized you saw none, “I care about you too Ezra,” your voice was just a whisper. 

Slowly, he leaned in and closed the gap between your faces. Ezra paused as his lips hovered just above yours to give you the chance to pull away. It was only when you didn’t that he kissed you. 

The kiss was everything you fantasized about and more. Almost right away, you parted your lips for him to deepen the kiss, and Ezra took the invitation willingly. Emotions spiked as your tongues danced together and all the time you each had spent yearning for the other came to a head in this one kiss. You could feel the passion behind Ezra’s kiss, and you hoped he could feel yours just as much. 

You and Ezra spent the entire night in each other’s arms. You both felt like you had many cycles of lost time to make up for, and you certainly made up for it. He spent what felt like hours worshipping your body and left no scar unkissed. Ezra’s touch was unlike anyone else, and you thought you would burst when he finally slid inside you. He was rough yet tender, and you could tell how much he truly cared about you as he made love to you. It wasn’t even until your third orgasm that he gave in to his own pleasure.

When you woke up the next morning, you were still naked and cuddled up next to him. You laid there in the comfortable silence as you listened to his heartbeat in his chest. Ezra still had his arm wrapped tightly around you and even in his sleep, his grip never loosened. You smiled against his skin as you absent-mindedly traced patterns along his chest. You never allowed yourself any hope of happiness, and yet here this man was like the sun to light up your darkness. 

“Good morning flower,” Ezra’s voice was deep and raspy from sleep and you felt him place a kiss on the top of your head.

You were about to reply when a voice rang through the communicator on the table. It was a voice you recognized and you tensed in Ezra’s grip. He knew right away that the voice belonged to your father, and both of you jumped up and got dressed as quickly as you could.

As you grabbed your weapons, you tried to ignore your father’s voice. He tried this trick before: he would signal out with the sad father act, desperate to get his missing kid back. It had worked on others before when you were a teenager, but you hoped now that you were an adult that Ezra wouldn’t fall for it.

It would break your heart if he did. 

Ezra said your name as he charged up his own weapon, “Stay behind me, no matter what happens,” he met your gaze, “I promise you will be alright.”

Your eyes went wide as you clutched your gun, “Ez…” 

He squeezed your shoulder once before he stepped out of your tent. With a deep breath, you followed but you weren’t prepared to see your father just outside. You gasped as you froze in fear; all of your memories flooded back as you looked into his face for the first time in many months. He smiled and said your name as he opened his arms wide to you.

“I’ve been looking for you, sweetheart. I’ve been worried sick since you ran away,” your father’s voice sounded sincere but you knew how fake his tone was.

“Do not step any closer,” Ezra stood firmly in your father’s way however, and was not fooled by the tone of his voice. He blocked you from him with his body as he addressed your father, “I must ask you to leave,” there was a danger to his tone that you had never heard before, “My partner will not be going with you.”

You hated the way you trembled in fear from behind Ezra. You hated how weak you felt under your father’s gaze. Ezra must have felt how much you shook because he subtly reached behind you and squeezed your hand once before he hovered over his gun.

“Don’t watch, my oasis,” he mumbled to you, and you immediately buried your face into Ezra’s back. 

When it became obvious to your father that Ezra would not fall for his act, his demeanor changed. “You son of a bitch!” your father shouted as he lunged forward. 

Ezra was quick to react and shot your father before he took more than two steps. You yelped behind him but didn’t lift your head as you clutched onto the back of his shirt.

Once he was sure your father was dead, Ezra turned to you as he said your name in a softer tone, “It’s over,” he caressed your face as he tilted your head to meet his gaze, “You’re safe now.”

You looked into his dark brown eyes and all you could see was home. You had never felt like you truly had a place to call home before, but you found it for the first time in your life in Ezra’s eyes. “Safe…” you echoed in a hushed voice as you tightened your grip on him, “Thank you, Ezra.”

He smiled at you, “You’ve no need to thank me, my desert rose,” Ezra’s thumb brushed across your cheek as he looked at you with a tender expression, “Now when you run, you run because you want to, not because you have to.”

Without a second thought, you closed the gap between your bodies and kissed him desperately. All of your emotions poured into the kiss, and Ezra immediately reciprocated and mirrored your feelings. “I love you, Ezra,” you breathed when you broke away from him.

Ezra said your name in a soft whisper as he placed a sweet kiss to your lips, “I have fallen in love with you as well.” 

From that day on, you were finally truly free. And it was all because of the man who saved your life more times than you could count. You still ran sometimes though. But you never had to run away anymore, and whenever you ran, you always had your Ezra by your side.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my writing tumblr @FlightlessAngelWings for more!


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